Understanding Raz-Kids And Why We Need It Now
Adam Meador KSU ITEC 7445 Emerging Technology What is Raz-Kids?
Raz-Kids is a supplement to Learning A-Z and a dynamicwebsite with
embedded text to speech technologies andassessment tools where kids
practice reading ebooks,anytime, anywhere. Vision and BCSS How does
Raz-Kids support the vision for technologyuse in Buford Elementary?
Raz-Kids could be the piece to close the reading gapon the 15% of
our student population who arentreading at grade level. Raz-Kids is
a multi-platform solution that can be utilizedwith BCSS BYOD, our
existing technology, and wouldcomplement any future plans to go 1:1
with mobile iOSdevices. Raz-Kids Levels Raz-Kids supports K-5
reading / Ages 4-11.
Raz-Kids leveling criteria are designed to accuratelyand reliably
measure text complexity to supportdifferentiated instruction. The
leveling system follows the guidelines fordetermining text
complexity as outlined in the CommonCore State Standards (CCSS).
The Standards call foran evaluation of student reading materials in
threeareas of text complexity: qualitative measures,quantitative
measures, and reader and taskconsiderations. Raz-Kids leveling
criteria take into account the following qualitative
measures:
Predictability of text Text structure and organization Logical
nature of organization Text and feature distractions Labeling and
reader supports Illustration support Infographics Complexity Text
reliance on Knowledge demands Concept load Familiarity of topic
(common everyday vs. unfamiliar) Single vs. multi-themed
Intertextual dependence Raz-Kids leveling criteria take into
account the following quantitative measures:
Total word count Number of different words Ratio of different words
to total words Number of high frequency words Ratio of high
frequency words to total words Number of low frequency words Ratio
of low frequency words to total words Sentence length Sentence
complexity Raz-Kids leveling criteria:
Consideration of the reader and the reading task is the final
component of text complexity as outlined in the Common Core
Standards. Each reader brings different skills, background, and
motivation to the act of reading. Reader and task considerations
are something teachers must evaluate for themselves. Fortunately,
because the Raz-Kids leveling system evaluates the qualitative and
quantitative criteria accurately and reliably, teachers are freed
up to focus their energy and attention where they are most needed
on the reader and task considerations that affect their individual
students. Needed to Implement Raz-Kids is a supplemental piece to
the Learning A-Zproducts we currently use. 10 Classroom Licenses
for 1st Grade at 36 students perclass. 360 seats total. Eligible
for discounted rate whenpurchasing 10+ classrooms. Total cost to
implement: IT Support to download Raz-Kids app to all iOS
mobiledevices at Buford Elementary. Student Information Data from
Power School for CSV importand initial student and teacher account
set up. Support Needs for BES Optional or Mandatory Professional
Learning neededfor teachers to effectively implement the
product.Administration could offer two to three optional
morningsessions this August as an introduction and follow-upon the
product. IT Support Specialist will need to load iOS app on allBES
iOS devices. All Xirrus Wireless Arrays need to be installed
toappropriately handle the Wi-Fi needs generated by theuse of this
product on mobile devices. Recorded Webinar Sessions available for
free. Limitations and Concerns
The Raz-Kids Terms of Service state that: If aregistered classroom
teacher shares a password orproduces materials for a non-registered
classroom, theentire license will be immediately canceled
withoutrefund. Additionally, unauthorized use is subject
toretroactive charge. Concern: Implementation is for 1st grade
only. It mustbe abundantly clear to 1st grade teachers to not
shareRaz-Kids products with the K teachers as this couldvoid the
school license agreement. Potential Funding Sources
Total cost to implement: for 360 1st gradeseats. Funding Options
General Funds, Title Funds, PTOLocal Fund, Central Office Funds
Raz-Kids in the Classroom
Leveled ebooks for independentreading. Custom and
self-pacedassignments according to studentslevel. Listen ebooks
having engaginganimation and sound effects. Read ebooks allow
students torecord their reading for teacherfluency progress checks.
Raz-Kids in the Classroom
Listen ebooks have built in text-tospeech technology that reads
thestory aloud and highlights spokenwords as they are read.
Raz-Kids in the Classroom
Students can access Raz-Kidsthrough our iOS products. Students can
access throughnetbooks and desktops. Students can easily access
throughBYOD. The Raz-Kids app is alsoAndroid compatible. Raz-Kids
in the Classroom
2 non-fiction and 2 fictionbenchmark passages for everyreading
level. Assign benchmark passages tostudents and review
studentrecordings of their reading. Communication and
Collaboration
About Running Records Running Records are one part of a
three-partprocess to place students in instructionallyappropriate
level texts and determine whether ornot students are ready to move
up a level. Part 1: Students read Benchmark Passages orBenchmark
Books, and you capture their readingbehavior on Running Records.
Part 2: Students retell the text, and you useRetelling Rubrics to
score their comprehension. Part 3: Students take an oral or
writtenComprehension Quick Check Quiz, and eachquestion's answer
tells what skill it assessed tohelp you identify comprehension
skills foradditional practice. Communication and Collaboration Data
Component Access Classroom Reports and Skill Reports Why do we need
Raz-Kids in the classroom?
This technology will help close the reading gap on ourlowest 15%.
Raz-Kids is aligned with Common Core Standards. With over 27
different built in reading levels this productwill meet a diverse
set of needs and generatedifferentiation quickly and effectively.
Promotes parent involvement through the ParentAccess Roster
component. Parents can monitor theirchilds progress easily. An
affordable option for differentiated instructionalresources. How do
other educators evaluate the performance of Raz-Kids?
Our K and 1 teachers have been using Raz-Kids for severalyears now
as part of their guided reading program. Thestudents love reading
online and taking tests. The programis so motivational for all
children. Leslie Mulkey, LiteracyFacilitator K5, Fouke Elementary
School, New York In a world of data, assessment, and data-driven
instruction,anything that can give me information on my
students'progress is a huge perk in my eyes. One of the
neatfeatures Raz-Kids has is the ability to look at many
differentreports about your students on the site. Any program
thatcan lay out that kind of information for me quickly
andeffortlessly is one I adore. Mrs. Wagers, 1st Grade Teacher,Ohio
Research available on the effectiveness of Raz-Kids
An in depth look at the research behind and importanceof
differentiated reading instruction can be found in theRaz-Kids
White Paper written by Adria F. Klein, Ph.Dat:http://www.raz-
kids.com/main/Download/id/white_paper_raz-
kids/resource/teachercorner Implementation Plan Student Data needs
to be in place withinPower School before Raz-Kids CSV import.
Optional or Mandatory Professional Learning neededfor 1st grade
teachers to correctly implement. Live Webinars and also recorded
Webinars areavailable to use for free. Proper set up of iOS app on
all BES iOS devices. Additional microphone headsets may need to
bepurchased. Proper Xirrus Wi-Fi Infrastructure in place.
Reflection Initially I didnt understand the scope of Raz-Kids. I
wasaware of the website. I also was aware of the fact thatmy
faculty used Learning A-Z printables with somefrequency. I set out
at the ISTE 2014 conference toevaluate the companion piece to
Learning A-Z calledRaz-Kids. In speaking with the Learning
A-Zrepresentative at ISTE it became abundantly clear thatthis was a
solution that we needed in place at BufordElementary. Investigating
and interacting with therepresentative at ISTE as well as preparing
thispresentation gave me valuable insight into what can beexpected
of a effective technology facilitator and leader. References Klein,
Ph.D, A. (n.d.). Providing Differentiated ReadingInstruction to
Meet the Individual Needs of Students.Learning A-Z. Learning A-Z.
(n.d.). Interactive ebooks for children | Raz- Kids. Retrieved July
11, 2014, from